Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-02
WASHINGTON NEWS NOTES,

Pending the selection and preparation of
permanent Offices for the use of the Inter
State Commerce Commission, temporary
quarters have been secured with the United
States Geological Survey in their building.
WASHINGTON, March 3O.-1t is estimated
at the Treasury Department there has
been decrease of about $12,OOO,OOO of
the public debt during the present month.
Receipts SO far this month are $33, ,235, ,293
and expenditures SIS, 1868. $50. including
$6, 735 219 pension payments. Net gain of
receipts over expenditures is $14, 1866, 743.
In response to a request from the Com
missiL ner OF Indian Affairs, Assistant At
torney General Montgomery to-day rem
dered an opinion upon the construction to
be placed upon certain analogous sections
in the Indien Lands Severalties Act, passed
last session, in which he holds that the In
dians who have heretofore received an al
lotment of a less quantity of land than is
provided for in said act are entitled to re
ceive an additional allotment sufficient to
make the entire quantity equal to that
named in the act. The opinion also holds
that the work OF making the allotment may
be either by special or regular agent,
without the concurrence OF the other.
THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION.
All the Interstate Commissioners except
Bragg are in the city tonight. Colonel
Morrison has been here since the adjourn
ment of Congress and Walker arrived dur
ing the day, while later trains brought
Judges Cooley and Schoonmaker. Captain
Bragg is expected tomorrow morning. To-
morrow at p. M, in accordance with the
suggestion of the President conveyed by |
letters to each of the Commissioners, the |
latter will assemble in the office of the Sec |
retary of the Interior to receive their COM |
missions and be sworn into office. What |
will afterwards be done they cannot say,
as they have not yet bad time for consul |
tation. Walker said he has seen none of |
his associates except Morrison, and up to !
half-past 9 Judge Cooley had not seen a |
single member of the Commission, having |
been busy since his arrival at 3 O'Clock |
with other matters demanding immediate
attention. As Judge Schoonmaker did |
had, of course, no opportunity to ascer
tain the views OF his fellow Commissioners.
Members of the Commission for this reason
have uniformly declined to say anything
about their future course. 1t is thought |
the Commission would organize tomorrow
and decide upon some plan of procedure,
but nothing could be definitely learned on
this point and some of the Commissioners
expressed doubt as to their right to take
any official action prior to April 5, when
the official life of the Commission begins.
The probabilities are, therefore, that to-
meeting will be one for consulta-
tion only. TIE members of the Commission
do not say anything about various
questions which have arisen regarding the
proper Interpretation to be given disputed
provisions of the law. Judge Cooley un-
officially expressed the opinion that it
would be impossible to interpret the law
until cases neceesitating such interpreta-
ion should come up in practice and he
thought it would be best for the commits
ZION to take up in order the questions as
hey should arise and determine what in
should be given the provisions
applicable to each case.